Monthly Archives: June 2016

June 30, 1939 – The Donald Duck Short Film Sea Scouts is Released to Theaters

“That looks like a fish…a flying fish!”

On June 30, 1939, the Donald Duck short film Sea Scouts premiered in theaters. It was the first short directed by Dick Lundy.

Donald is the captain of a ship, with his nephews serving as his crew. As his nephews sleep, he barks orders at them, quickly snapping them to attention. As they hoist the anchor, the anchor gets stuck under a rock and sends them flying. Donald tries to take over, and he too is thrown aside from the pushback. Donald then uses so much force that he almost capsizes the boat. His nephews laugh at his misfortune in raising the anchor, until he yells at them to raise the sails. Seeing that they are incorrect in the procedure, Donald orders them to lower the boom, which they do – on his head. Angered, Donald decides to do everything himself, and starts raising the sails. A strong wind comes in to carry them away, though none realize that the boat is still tied to the dock. The mast is broken from the force of the wind, and Donald gets tangled in a rope and swept away. Seeing his hat having fallen, he demands his nephews bring him down, until he spots a shark right below. Unfortunately, his calls to be brought back up come too late, but Donald manages to scramble his way back up the mast. The boys try to save him, but the shark scares them away, and Donald has to do battle with the beast. When Donald’s hat is ruined in the chase, Donald gets angry enough to fight – and win – against the shark. The boys then head back to short triumphantly.

June 29, 2004 – Breaking Benjamin’s Second Album We Are Not Alone is Released Through Hollywood Records

“Show me how defenseless you really are, satisfied and empty inside.”

On June 29, 2004, the second album by rock band Breaking Benjamin entitled We Are Not Alone was released through Hollywood Records. The group, having signed with the record label in 2002, worked with Smashing Pumpkins front man Billy Corgan to create three songs for the album. The album peaked at number 20 on the Billboard 200, eventually being certified platinum. Since its release, the album has garnered mixed to positive reviews.

June 28, 1940 – The Pluto Short Film Bone Trouble is Released to Theaters

On June 28, 1940, the Pluto short film Bone Trouble premiered in theaters. It is the second short film in Pluto’s individual series. This short features the first appearance of Pluto’s nemesis and rival for Dinah the Dachshund’s affections, Butch. The short was directed by Jack Kinney, and is notable for being his first short film as a director.

Pluto is snoozing away in his doghouse when he is woken by a rooster’s crowing. He spies his empty dog dish, with the birds having eaten all of his food, and hears a strange sound from the other side of the fence. He sees a bone in Butch the Bulldog’s bowl, and decides to dig under the fence and steal the bone. As Pluto tries not to wake Butch, he runs into difficulties in acquiring the bone. As he gets it and starts walking away, he is unaware that Butch has woken up and is in pursuit. Pluto comes face to face with Butch and tries to pretend nothing has happened, but then decides to try and make a break for it. The chase is on all across town and in a carnival, but Pluto manages to lose him in the hall of mirrors. As Pluto passes by each mirror, his appearance changes, much to his surprise. His reflection in one mirror frightens him, as does another. He plays around with the mirrors, amusing himself with each distortion. When he spies Butch, the chase begins again, but Pluto manages to use the mirrors to his advantage to scare Butch enough to send him flying away.

June 27, 1938 – Voice Actress and Disney Legend Kathryn Beaumont is Born

“…I went directly from finishing Alice [in Wonderland], and immediately started working on the voice for Wendy.”

On June 27, 1938, Kathryn Beaumont was born in London, England. Her career began early with MGM, where she was under contract and starred in several films, including It Happened One Sunday and On an Island with You. In 1949, when Walt was looking for the perfect British voice for the titular character in Alice in Wonderland, Beaumont auditioned and won the coveted role. Not only did she voice the character in the film, but was also her live-action model. She helped promote the film in 1950 with a Christmas television special, One Hour in Wonderland, which was the first television special for the studio. After promoting the film in 1951, she came back to the studio to be cast as another British heroine: Wendy from Peter Pan. Again, Beaumont played the character in animation and in live-action, and helped promote the film through another Disney Christmas television special: The Walt Disney Christmas Show. After working on Peter Pan, Beaumont graduated high school and attended the University of Southern California, where she majored in education; she would stay in Los Angeles to teach elementary school. She was asked to voice her famous characters again for Disney park attractions and television specials, and continued to do so until 2005, when she retired from voice acting. She was honored in 1998 for her contribution in bringing these classic characters to life.

On June 26, 1957, the Viewliner train attraction opened in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland. Based on Walt’s love of model trains, the Viewliner was a modernistic mini-monorail that ran alongside the Disneyland Railroad. This was Walt’s first attempt at a mass –transit system within the park, but was overtaken a little over a year later by the Monorail, which was inspired by the transit systems found in Germany. The Viewliner was closed on September 15, 1958; the Monorail opened the following year.

June 25, 1967 – The Circle-Vision 360 Film America the Beautiful Opens in Disneyland

“She is a rich land, and a rare land. A fresh, and fair, land.”

On June 25, 1967, the Circle-Vision 360 film America the Beautiful opened in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland. The film, originally known as a Circarama film, opened at the Brussels World’s Fair in 1958 before being brought to Disneyland in 1960. This 1967 version is a reshot version of the original film, and was revised again in 1975 for the American Bicentennial celebrations. Shot with nine cameras on a circular stand, the film gives guests a 360 experience of important American landscapes and American ways of life. It was closed on January 3, 1984, and was replaced by American Journeys. A 16mm version of the film was created for educational purposes in 1980.

June 24, 1999 – The Quick Service Restaurant Electric Umbrella Opens in Epcot

“Hide away beneath colorful canopies where you can sink your teeth into all kinds of classic fare…”

On June 24, 1999, the quick service restaurant Electric Umbrella in Epcot’s Future World area in Walt Disney World. The restaurant, serving lunch and dinner, features a mix of classic and healthy fare, including a French dip burger, an Energy Salad with roasted chicken, and a strawberry cheesecake. The restaurant is included in the Disney Dining Plan, and includes a courtyard where guests can eat while observing the sights of the park.